Post by Viduus Morta on Mar 5, 2018 11:51:31 GMT -5
*Tick*
*Tock*
*Tick*
*Tock*
A large, wooden grandfather clocked echoed in the dingy, dark hallway. Excessively long, the hallway’s walls contained paintings and statutes spaced out perfectly even as if we were in a museum. Focusing on the nearest painting that is encased by a gaudy, golden frame is an eerie painting that any avid art fan would recognize as “Das Jungste Gericht.” The already dim lights flicker as two shadows make their way from the end of the hall and stop four paintings down. Viduus Morta and his brother, The Speaker come into focus through the dimly lit walkway we remain in.
Speaker: “For months, you have all been told that a storm is coming, an awakening of sorts. We have prophesied and preached about all of your shortcomings, all of your failures, and all of your flaws. Week after week, the battleground competitors tell us they don’t believe, we are false prophets and that our kingdom will fall. Week after week, we put those protests down, we destroy your sense of hope and we build our kingdom’s foundation to be indestructible. Union Battleground stands as one entity against Salvation but Union Battleground is divided in itself and divided….you will all fall.”
Taking a step back, the Speaker motions with his hand to center upon the tapestry they have been standing in front of. Pictured are four different beings; a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, all of which wear a crown upon their head. Each creature had two wings spreading outward and two covering their respective body.
Speaker: “The Eagle. King of the Birds. Agile and speedy.”
Zooming in on the Eagle’s eyes, they appear to glisten as if there were diamonds contained within the painting. The Speaker awaits with a smile.
Speaker: “Light and little, the birds constantly survey their surroundings to determine each and every weakness their environment has. The weakness will be exploited to its fullest potential. Kimitsu is our Eagle…but one who has lost her sight. Most recently, a failure at Retrograde in 4CW, Kimi will try and cling to any scraps of her career that she has left. Obsessed with her loss to Emery last year, Kimi flies about in circles, going nowhere. It seems that every loss and every victory serves as fuel for Kimi’s successes and failures in Union Battleground. Where she lost to Lauryn Wolfe in 4CW, she used as motivation to defeat Xion Ben-Judah here. Where she failed against Emery in Union Battleground, she escaped with a title in 4CW. Now, a loser once again in 4CW, how will you respond Kimi? And will that response matter? Viduus has just defeated perhaps the greatest 4CW superstar of all time, a hall of famer, a former and first triple crown winner in Dakota Smith. What threat do you pose if The Butcher himself could not put Viduus down? The Eagle may own the skies but is the lowest on the hierarchy of life. Your failures in 4CW will drag you down in the Battleground. You, Kimi, have lost the sight of how to be successful as each fall in 4CW makes you question your abilities that much more. The War Horse medallion has given you hope to avenge your loss against Emery. Hope, however, will only force you into oblivion as it offers you a false sense of security. Hope is not your ally. The strong take from the weak as you did in order to be placed in this match Zombie. Viduus is not Ken James. He is the Blood King and to him…the eagle will fall.”
Whether through divine intervention or a smoke and mirrors parlor trick, The Eagle and only the eagle on the painting bursts into flames leave nothing but a black mark on the painting.
Speaker: “The ox. King of Strength. Strong and here to service.”
Once more zooming in on the creature mentioned by name, the eyes of the ox glisten red like the brightest ruby anyone has ever laid eyes on before returning to focus on The Speaker.
Speaker: “The Bruiser Axton Pierce! STRONG YES! Yet your strength will only get you so far, my friend. Your strength will take you as far as Viduus needs it to take you as the true purpose of the ox is service. You will be of service to weaken the opposition. You will serve Him well as a man who does not truly belong. There is nothing you have done of note that states you belong in this match. With two losses to your name to lesser competition than Emery Layton, Kimitsu Zombie and myself, what could even make you dream that you belong here? While Salvation has taken note of several players in the Battleground, you have not even become a whisper in any way. There has been no conceivable thought about Axton Pierce and what he can do because Axton…you are just an everyday man. Someone who should be asking “do you want fries with that” rather than being subjected to the destruction that you are inevitably faced with at King Cobra. The ox…will fall.”
Whispering the last words “will fall”, the ox bursts into flames just as the eagle had done leaving a second black mark upon the tapestry. Viduus steps up, taking center frame as The Speaker fades to the back slightly covered in the shadow of Viduus.
Viduus: “The Lion. King of the Animals. Courageous and powerful.”
The lions eyes glow an amber, gold color. Viduus, however, did not want to talk with the lion remaining on the painting. Taking a small dagger from behind him, Viduus cuts the silhouette of the lion from the painting and turns to the camera, holding the lion up in his hand for the camera to see.
Viduus: “Perhaps you will be the most fun Bullet King. The most fun to watch bleed. Beg. Plead for the match to end. You are courageous as you boast on social media that Salvation should have kept your name out of our mouths. It takes courage to put yourself out there the way you have. It takes some gall to believe that you could do something about us. Quite the keyboard warrior you are Kincaid. Everyone knows the truth though. We all know that you will never follow through. We all know they are just words. You will but up a decent fight. You'll cause a small fuss but your empty threats are nothing more than a façade, a mask for you to hide behind. You see, I know your type. You’ll hide behind your record as you regurgitate any insults you can gather from movies and songs you listen to. You'll talk tough as if you stand any chance at all against myself. In the end, you will fail. Your courage will be exposed as foolishness. You may have been the better man four times so far in the battleground. You may have earned your way into this match but at the end of the night we will all know that Alex Kincaid, The Bullet King, only fires blanks.”
Viduus waves his hand as the lion goes up in flames in his hand. He lets go as the fire begins to reach his fingertips as the embers of the lion fall to the ground as foreshadowing for the fate Alex Kincaid.
Viduus: “Man. King of All. Intelligent.”
The man appears to shine brightly as Viduus says “man.” One blink and it could have been missed or perhaps it is our eyes playing tricks on us but it seemed that lightning struck around the background of the painting just as Viduus brought the camera back to focus on him.
Viduus: “Salvation is now your kingdom, as we are destined to rule over all of the weak and pathetic simpletons such as yourselves. Man will bring about the destruction and cleansing of all other things as I now am tasked with at King Cobra. The reign of Emery Layton has been long and illustrious but it is I who will unseat her from the pedestal she has been placed on. It starts with the War Horse title.
Ladies, Gentleman, and Kincaid…there is a rule that must be followed. As there are four kings to start only one can remain. Only one can reign supreme. Only one can stand tall. Obsession with power and glory can be a boon and certainly, can be a burden. For the three of you, it is surely a burden. Unable to handle the spotlight. Unable to propel yourself to new heights you wallow in your respective worlds and remain on the levels in which you are now.
Every desire has its proper object. People like the three of you spending their lives wanting things they shouldn’t and the world confuses you into taking your love and aiming it where it doesn’t belong. This is your reminder that some things, no matter how devoutly they are wished for, will never come. Lions, oxen and eagles will never be man. The three of you? You will never be champion.”
A creepy smile unfurls across the face of Viduus. He is Grinch like with that grin as the camera zooms slightly in on his face.
Viduus: “It is written in the rule of four that only one will reign. Only one may stand. ONLY ONE…
Post by Alex Kincaid on Mar 5, 2018 14:16:34 GMT -5
22 Million Reasons by Sloan Altamount | March 2nd, 2018
Here’s the truth about Alyssa Kincaid: She’s smarter than people might expect. In the old boys club of professional wrestling, she’s a disarming presence who’s more likely to finish a negotiation with a soft smile than a fist pounding demand on a boardroom desk. She’s an idealist, someone sure that deep down even an industry as cutthroat as the one she’s called him for the last six years can be a force for good. Ultimately, you might ask yourself: What does professional wrestling matter? Is it worth time to be an idealist for an industry that is ultimately meaningless?
That would be a mistake.
Union Battleground is a phenomenon. In its past two seasons of programming, promoter Axel Graves has managed to take what was once a faltering regional promotion into a global powerhouse. Recent packed houses in Shanghai, China and the upcoming Crown Of The King Cobra in New Delhi, India have shown that there’s real money in professional wrestling. In an increasingly diverse entertainment landscape, the ability to appeal to universal themes can be appealing to advertisers. Maybe a kid in Guatemala can’t identify with the privileged socialites of the latest CW Network drama, but absolutely everyone can understand the struggle to liberate a company from the looming monster that holds its top prize. By simply turning the camera inward, allowing us access to its athletes personal lives Union Battleground has produced one of the most compelling sports products in the world today.
“I mean, you’ve got to remember we’re three or four generations deep into professional wrestling now.” Alyssa Kincaid tells me “There are kids who grew up in the worst part of the world who know that wrestling can be a way out if they need it to be.”
The Kincaid family is notoriously reclusive. Despite years and years in front of the cameras, locking Alex down for an interview has proven difficult. Tell-all confessions from former tag team partners, previous relationships or business partners have simply failed to materialize. It’s not surprising. The wrestling industry is a closed space, a brotherhood that relies on silence to keep it’s barely legal activities from coming under too much government scrutiny. Yet, Alyssa Kincaid seems effortlessly calm as we take in dinner at the Lalit Hotel in New Delhi. On the terrace below us, big money trades hands as foreign investors take their slices of one of the worlds great emerging markets. Alyssa finds the entire thing distasteful.
“I look at a place like this and I think about what we could accomplish here. About how many of those kids will see a guy like Alex and realize that they can rise above their station. And yeah, I mean, the ugly reality of that is a huge part of it is building the brand. If you want people to model themselves after you that means they have to be looking at you. So sometimes we have to swim with the sharks.”
Below, Alex is locked in conversation with a pair of local television executives. Whether he was sent to this meeting or he decided to attend on his own doesn’t make a difference in his approach. He’s charming. It’d be easy to forget he fought for a living, Questions about expanding his Bullet King brand are met with practiced confidence, questions about his personal life are dodged with easy wit and a quick laugh.
Alyssa might understand the game even better than her husband. Trying to lock down what exactly their goals are in Union Battleground proves difficult. The obvious goal of any wrestler – title victories to put money in the bank and prestige on the marquee – haven’t seemed to appeal to Alex in the last few months. Instead, he’s spent his time in a protracted personal battle with Japanese import Kira Izumi. What was, at first, a simple misunderstanding over a vandalized locker room quickly escalated into a vicious physical rivalry. I find myself wondering about that side of Alex Kincaid, the side of him that seems all too comfortable to allow territorial disputes to become vicious conflicts over deeper ideals in record times.
“Those two are oil and water.” She tells me absentmindedly, flicking through emails on her phone “I mean what do you expect? It’s two alpha male personalities. Couldn’t be any different. And they both really enjoy getting other under peoples skin. Kira made things personal, and I think we saw how that ended a few days ago.”
A few days ago was Shanghai, China for Union Battlegrounds biweekly “Lights Out” event. In the evenings opening contest, Kincaid and two of his fellow wrestlers clashed with Izumi’s ‘Muramasa-Kosa’ faction. The wild brawl threatened to poor out of control and finally ended in a remarkable display of brutality when Kira was driven spine first onto the steel steps at ringside. To listen to Alyssa discuss it, this represented the end of his first rivalry in the new company.
“Eventually you’ve got to move on. If someone doesn’t make that choice than things escalate and escalate until someone has a career end or they’re driven out of company. Sort of the consequences of so much of the matchmaking being done by personal issues.”
The next opportunity may lie at Crown of the King Cobra as Alex Kincaid is given the opportunity to compete for the Warhorse Championship. Title gold has been surprisingly elusive for the Canadian grappler, with most of his defining victories coming as a result of settling the aforementioned personal disputes. But this time, she tells me, it will be different.
“I think he’s got a lot of respect for the other people he’ll be fighting that night.”
Indeed, during the brawl in Shanghai it was Axton Pearce who came to Kincaid’s side to help him battle Muramusa-Kosa. Alyssa Kincaid speaks highly of Axton, of his abilities, and have the attitude he’ll bring to the upcoming title match. But at the same time, she’s under no illusions about where things are ultimately going “Axton’s dangerous. I think, if you were to sit him and Alex down for a beer they’d get along great. But there’s just too much at stake. Whatever loyalty there was temporarily last week has to go right out the window for what we’re trying to build here.”
The conversation turned toward tactics eventually. There were individual battle plans, counter to those plans, and counters to the counters that she was able to make easy to understand even to a layman. A few weeks ago, Alyssa claimed to ‘handle the professional’ while her husband handled the wrestling side of ‘Professional Wrestler’. To hear her talk about what he’ll have to do to win the match, her contribution to the wrestling side of things might be understated.
“What could be better than touching down in a new market and instantly making yourself a success?” She asks, grinning as he heads up the stairs to return to our table “Imagine what it’s like to come into a new country and have your first match be a title match. Imagine what it’s then like to win that title match. It builds you a name, it builds a lot of good memories. New Dehli has 22 million people living here, and it’s one of the most passionate wrestling cities on the planet. If we’re very lucky than they’re all going to know Alex’s name.”
That’s as good a reason as any to root for Alex to succeed in the coming contest. It was good enough for WNC to send me to New Delhi to interview the pair of them. Shortly after this, we were joined at our table by the Bullet King himself. We discussed his past, his future, his motivations and the parts of his personal life he’s so reluctant to share.
All of that can be found on this website tomorrow. Stay tuned, dear reader, for part two.
Last Edit: Mar 5, 2018 14:18:40 GMT -5 by Alex Kincaid
Post by Axton Pierce on Mar 5, 2018 19:40:15 GMT -5
A VOICE MEMO BY AXTON E. PIERCE - RECORDED ON MARCH 4TH 2018
“... I woke up this morning. I sat up in my bed as I saw the Florida sun shine into the room from my window and I couldn’t help but smile. Another day of life, I was living it. Another breath of air, I was having it.”
“I remember one time, I spoke about gratefulness and how I was filled with it. Well, that’s become a recurring theme as of late. Honestly, being with Union Battleground, that's been such a pleasure. So much has happened since I signed back in July of last year. I've won some, I've lost some. Win or lose, I always say.”
“Winning got me a shitload of stuff, like how I won that medallion, ah good times. Losing got me stuff too, like I'm pretty sure I got myself a lady friend or something. I'm not going to spoil who it is, because… SPOILERS! But she's alright, I'd say. Anyway, where was I? Ah, si. Winning. So anyways there I was, lifting that medallion up high and then this chick came from behind… Oh, wait you all know that one already. Ehm… Oh, Right! So, I was all like ‘I’ll fight all ya’ and then Axel was like ‘Nah, mate your pretty important so we’re gonna have you team with Anton’ and I was like ‘Fine, you’re the boss’ and what not. So, Anton and I got to talking and we decided that our fight against MURAMASA-kokka wasn’t going to be as fair as one would like it so we were like ‘Aye! Let’s get Alex Kincaid in on this so we can have an even fight because He hates MK as much as we do.’ and so we did. Then the big boss gave the three of us the three of them, t’was a little bit rocky in the beginning but it all came around at the end and we won. So now that you’re all caught up with my business, let’s talk about what’s to come.”
“Speaking of Kincaid, next week we move from partners to bitter rivals as we fight for the brand new War Horse Championship and it won’t be just the two of us, although that is a very well done song. No, It’s more of a fatal-four way. There’s me, Alex, Kimitsu Zombie, and Viduus Morta. All of us want that sweet gold, but only one will stand tall. That one is gonna be me.”
“Yeah, yeah, that's what the other three are going to say, I got it. But do you know that most of the things I say appear true? I said to watch me 'bring a wrestling god to his knees’ and I did just that. I said that I would 'gift Jordan Rayburn his first loss in Union Battleground’ and I did just that. And now, hear me say it that I, Axton Elliott Pierce will step in that ring Next Sunday and I will face off against Alex Kincaid, face off against Kimitsu Zombie, face off against Viduus Morta and I will do whatever it takes to become the first ever War Horse Champion.”
“I said it once and I'll say it again, 2018 will be the year of the bruiser and three months in that will reign true when I lift that championship high in the Indira Gandhi Arena in
Post by Kimitsu Zombie on Mar 6, 2018 9:41:05 GMT -5
“The trash is the shame of this city and these kids live among the filth.” Kimitsu Zombie sits with a group of young kids. They wear clothes that are obvious hand me downs and some have dirt on their faces. The smallest girl sits on Kimitsu’s lap and plays with her hair.. There is a mat in front of the group with bread and they are all eating and drinking tea. A landfill is behind them that looks like a brown hill. There are people on the hill picking among the trash. Kimitsu looks around the group, then at the camera solemnly.
“Did you know that for the price of a cup of coffee-”
She laughs and shakes her head at what this must look like. She passes a flask to one of the older kids and they mix her drink with their cup of tea. That would bring them back to reality.
“No, I am not out here to collect for these kids. I’m here to prove a point. Look at them. These are the Ragpickers that sort through all the shit back there and look for recyclables to sell. Their families depend on this income for a living so it’s all hands on deck. That’s why these kids work here. I knew coming to India would be an experience for me. Maybe even a religious one, but I didn’t expect to find this. I share a kinship with these kids and their way of life. This might be the part where I say that I pick through the trash in these wrestler’s lives and picking out the gems that make them better people once they face me, but that hasn’t been so true. If you follow my career outside of Union Battleground you know that I haven’t been having such a good time in wrestling lately. I’ve been having more downs than ups. I’ve been landed at the proverbial dump and almost thrown out with the other trash wrestlers. So what do I do?”
She looks at the girl on her lap and at the other kids looking for an answer. They laugh and cover their mouths. The one with the liquor in his cup raises it up like he understands her and agrees wholeheartedly.
“I’m going to do what these people did. I’m going to fucking swim in the trash and try to wring some gold out of my situation. I’m going after the money and I’m going after the belts. My name may be dragged through the mud, I might be bloodied and bruised, but I will never give up on what I want. That is why I’m still here. I want that Trench War Championship. I want to be the one to end Emery Layton’s reign. No one else is. That’s why I did what I did to Trixie. I saw an unworthy challenger and someone I defeated in the past trying to horn in on my spot. So who cares that I wasn’t on the card? I flew myself to China and made sure that match was not happening. I hope Emery paid close attention to what I am willing to go through. I hope she pays a lot of attention to this match as well. She is looking forward to that King Cobra Championship match, but I hope she also keeps an eye behind her.”
Kimitsu stops herself and opens up her arms.
“I might not even do anything to her. I am going to put my work in for that title. I’m no Trixie. Now that Union Battleground has made this War Horse Championship a requirement to get that title, of course, I have fought my way to the top. Now my opponents either have not seen too much of me to consider me a threat or have seen too much of me to think they can pass me by. I’ll still come into this match as the favorite to win because the people of Union Battleground have not forgotten me. I am still the very same person they always knew and I will not let a little professional slump deter me. I’m going to still be the same Kimitsu Zombie that takes on anyone like it was the most important match of my life and give everything to destroy what’s in front of me. The only difference now is that I can accept the outcome. That does not mean I have settled for whatever result just yet. That just means that I’m going to pick up my bag and I’m able to search through the tons of rubbish of my soul for that gold.”
Kimitsu sets the girl down and grabs her hand. All of the children with her get up and she leads them out of the landfill and into the street. It is getting darker and the stalls along the road are closing. The owners of these trinket and food stalls quicken their pace when they see Kimitsu and the dirty children walking by. People avoid them by crossing the street, and cars do their best to avoid them. Kimitsu spots a modest restaurant and walks towards it. Someone tries to shut the door but she kicks it open before they can lock it. The few patrons that are there leave. The kids swarm in and take up their leftover food and most of the tables in the back leaving a space for Kimitsu. When she sits down she shuts down the owner by setting a small stack of American dollars on the table. She motions the staff to get one of everything.
“I know most of you guys in this match think very highly of yourselves. Probably none more than Alex Kinkaid. The Bullet King is it? Well, look: I’ve been through so many shocks in my short career that your “shot?” It is probably going to mean nothing for me. I’m not going to be phased or surprised. You have shown me what you can do in your battles with Muramasa-kokka. You have had a pretty busy time with them. Even Axton got into the mix all the while getting two of the Four Horsemen Medallions. Well I do hope that your business with that group is settled with because it is time for the real battle. You, who have seen it all in wrestling, must believe that this is your match to win. I’m going to take you back to your start. Before the money, the beautiful wife you won’t shut the fuck up about, and the fame. I am going to make you hunger for this win and make you want pro wrestling to love you back. If not I’ll make you see that it’s time to quit this thing.”
The plates of food come in and the girl closest to Kimitsu hands her a samosa. Kimitsu bows her head in thanks and then gets back into her thoughts.
“Axton Pierce has been in pretty much the same state as Kinkaid. Also fighting for his life against Izumi-san and Muramasa-kokka… I showed them who the fuck I was early on, by the way. His problems with them, however, were just them getting their fun at his expense. Pierce and Kinkaid are the most familiar with each other and they worked very well together. It was very nice like you try to be. Maybe you need to learn when to use this killer instinct because you could have made this match a little bit easier for yourself. You two are either too nice, gutless, or just plain stupid. We’ll find out.”
Kimitsu has been kneading the samosa the whole time and now breaks it open. The little girl gasps but doesn’t talk.
“Now Viduus Morta and his Speaker know me very well. They think they do, anyway. They have seen me at my best and at my worst over at 4CW. I am willing to bet anything that they have written me off first. I have recently had a match for another title over there. It would have been my second in that company. All I heard throughout the lead up to that match was that I have a record with a rising L count. They thrived on pointing this out to me like it would make me think less of myself. I know where I stand, and I know that Viduus is my biggest test in this match. I know this and I know the man. I know his rivalries, his victories and his weaknesses. Remember you have those, Viduus? You fucked off here to Salvation for a reason, you son of a bitch. I can defeat you because you only see my record but I see the man.
“I’m not afraid of anyone in this match, or of winning, or even losing. I’m going to give my career life again no matter what. I keep going just like these Ragpickers. A championship is in my future. That is the definition of a War Horse.”
